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Protesters Take Jobs Message To Mpls. Bridge

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Protesters hung a huge banner from the 10th Avenue SE Bridge on the West River Parkway. It reads "Fix this! Put America back to work."

The group, Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, called for local politicians to look at the state's structurally insufficient bridges, instead of more tax cuts for corporations, as a way to create jobs.

"Here in Minnesota, we have more than a thousand bridges badly in need of repair and 7.2 percent unemployment," said Kevin Whelan of Minnesotans for a Fair Economy. "It's time to start investing in our state to put Minnesotans back to work updating our crumbling bridges and roads. Instead of giving away billions in tax breaks to Wells Fargo, we could spend that money creating jobs and rebuilding America."

The protest was one of more than a dozen similar actions in the U.S. today supporting Obama's jobs plan.

According to a report from Transportation for America, nearly 9 percent of Minnesota's bridges are considered structurally deficient.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Susie Jones Reports

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